Cadillac XT5 gets detailed

Cadillac The 2017 Cadillac XT5 will be the cornerstone of a series of crossovers bearing the “XT” designation.

The crossover officially debuts at the Dubai auto show this week, with a US reveal at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week. Cadillac offered a sneak peak of the XT5 when it dangled one from a helicopter above the Hudson River in New York in September. This new crossover perfectly reflects Cadillac’s positioning in the luxury automotive marketplace, de Nysschen said.

Cadillac’s new crossover embodies the company’s expertise for lightweight and agile driving dynamics.

“The all-new XT5 not only enters the most popular segment in the worldwide luxury auto market, it is the first of four new crossovers from Cadillac”, Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen says in a statement ahead of the premiere. The model also weighs 100 lbs (45 kg) less than the Audi Q5 and is more than 650 lbs (295 kg) lighter than the Mercedes GLE.

The new XT5 comes at a time when sales of the SRX are hot for the brand and have helped it eek out a 4.5 percent year-to-date global sales increase through October this year. The rear seat reclines and slides fore and aft, as well. The XT5 has a strong visual presence with proportions that convey the driving experience and the lightweight construction underneath the surface.

The XT5 should offer stronger performance than the SRX, above and beyond its powertrain. And like all Cadillac models, the interior is assembled with cut-and-sewn wrapped panels rather than molded surfaces typical of mainstream vehicles.

As Cadillac seeks to reinvent its luxury brand, the company has already given us the ATS, CTS, and forthcoming CT6 sedans.

Secondly, Cadillac engineers worked tirelessly to make the XT5 lightweight. Bigger news is that like the CTS version, its new Active Fuel Management can operate on four cylinders for more economical cruising; Cadillac says the cylinder deactivation is worth about a six per cent increase in fuel economy. It produces an estimated 310 bhp (231 kW) and 270 lb-ft (365 Nm) of torque.

Both engines are mated to an all-new 8-speed automatic transmission. In other markets, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is set to be offered. Powerful, yet compact, the 2.0T also features Stop/Start technology. The automatic will feature Cadillac’s first-ever electronically controlled shifter. Paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an optional all-wheel drive system, the XT5 is aimed to do battle with the Mercedes-Benz GLE and the Audi Q5.

A key interior technology piece of the XT5 is a rear-camera mirror system. Debuting on the CT6, the new mirror is said to enhance a driver’s rear vision 300% by applying a video display over a conventional rearview mirror. That camera records images behind the vehicle, streams the image to video processing software that removes obstacles such as the roof, rear pillars and rear-seat passengers.

This was achieved using numerous techniques applied on the Cadillac CTS and ATS sport sedans – the lightest cars in their respective segments.

The overall length is 189.5 inches and the wheelbase is 112.5 in, which means it’s shorter than an SRX but with a longer wheelbase. A new Platinum model promises trim and materials along the lines of those offered in the gargantuan Escalade Platinum. GDI turbo, also using stop-start. Electronic Precision Shift reduces noise and vibration, and it allows for greater use of the cabin space with a storage space beneath the center console. It can also split torque between the rear wheels for superior traction and a measure of torque-vectoring control. For instance, a diagonal A-frame front chassis brace was added provide more “feel and stiffness” in turns. In front it gets a MacPherson setup; in back it gets a five-link independent design.

The first-ever XT5 includes Cadillac’s latest production systems in connectivity and safety. And previous iterations of the Cadillac CUE system were quite atrocious as well.

The interior also boasts a host of technology improvements not the least of which is a more user-friendly CUE infotainment system with a faster processor. The XT5’s power liftgate can be opened and closed by waving a foot under the rear bumper. A color head-up display will be an option, as will surround-view cameras.